Crews work to contain fires on opposite ends of state

Flames raced across rugged terrain on opposite ends of New Mexico on Tuesday as firefighters tried to protect clusters of homes along the Colorado border and the headquarters of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Crews were also working in western New Mexico to stop the spread of a wildfire that had marched across the state line days ago from the White Mountains of Arizona. Nearly every corner of the state is suffering from severe to extreme drought conditions and the lack of rain and persistent winds have resulted in conditions that are ripe for fast moving fires, fire officials and weather forecasters said. The wildfire raging near Raton charred more than 24,000 acres by early Tuesday and continued to keep hundreds of residents from their homes in the hills on the outskirts of town. Interstate 25 between Raton and Trinidad, Colo., remained closed, resulting in traffic backups as travelers were rerouted hours out of their way. Officials said flames on both sides of the highway near Raton Pass were too hot to allow traffic to pass through...more